Abdominal appliance.



No. 807,657. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

' S. H. BURNS.

ABDOMINAL APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION I'll-ED JULY 11. 1904.

, position.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY H. BURNS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ABDOWHNAL APPLIANCE.

To rtZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, SIDNEY H. BURNS, a citi-Zen of the United States, residing at New York city, county of New York,and State of New York,have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Abdominal Appliances, fully described and represented in thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe same.

The invention relates to abdominal appliances for the purpose ofreducing and preventing protrusion of the abdomen.

The invention consists in a device used in stationary position upon theperson and which when so applied by reason of its construction coactswith the muscles to cause them automatically to knead or massagethemselves whenever bodily motions of the wearer occurthat is to say, itproduces upon the flesh an effect closely similar to that produced bythe fingers of the massage operator, and this without subjecting themuscles to any load or requiring any external manipulation and solelythrough the natural movements of the wearer himself.

The invention further consists in the con- I struction of said device,as more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the humanfigure, showing the appliance in position on the abdomen. Fig. 2 is aside view of the figure, showing the appliance disposed to act also asan abdominal support. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the appliance.Fig. 4 shows the action of the appliance when the body is in a seatedFig. 5 shows a portion of the helical massaging member.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The massaging member B is preferably a continuous metal wire so bent asto have a plurality of projections c, with intervening recesses f. Sucha bending is obtained by forming the wire in a helix withwidely-separated turns. This member is to be placed transversely acrossthe abdomen, as shown in Fig. 1, andis held in stationary positionthereon by means of a belt A, which is secured to its ends and passesaround the back of the wearer. The projections c then slightly indentthe flesh at certain points, while between these points the fleshexpands into the recesses f. Then any muscular or other movement of theabdomen takes place, the free mo- Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Application filed July 11, 1904. Serial No. 215,972.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905. I

tion of the flesh under the projections e is restricted, while in therecesses f its free motion is permitted. The result is amechanicalaction upon the flesh similar to that produced thereon by the fingers ofa massage operator.

It is preferable to use two similar massaging members B and G, connectedat their ends by cross-pieces Z) c. To one of said cross-pieces, as c,the belt A may be permanently attached. The other cross piece b thenserves as an engaging bar for the hook a on the end of said belt. Thebelt may also be provided with any suitable slide or adjusting device dfor altering its length to suit the wearer.

When two massaging members are em-' every slight movement of the personthe parallel rows of fingers open and close, thus gently andautomatically massaging the flesh.

The Wire of which the members are formed may be protected from oxidationin any suitable way and should be of such diameter as will not cut intothe skin. By adjusting the device under the abdomen, as shown in Fig. 2,it will also serve as a support therefor.

I am aware that massage-rollers and socalled massage-machines have beendevised which are moved by an operator over the surface of the body; butthey are entirely diflerent in principle from my invention, which isfixed in position on the body, requires no external manipulation, andoperates through 00- action with the moving flesh beneath it. So, also,I am aware that weights of from three to ten ounces each strung uponbelts have been caused to exert by gravity pressure upon individualabdominal muscles against which they are held. This also is different inprinciple from my device, which does not depend at all upon pressure onindividual muscles nor require any normal pressure beyond such assuffices to cause the projections c slightly to indent and sosufiiciently to engage with the flesh. Weights merely oppose a passiveresistance to the muscular movements and so force the muscles to do workto overcome it. My device has no such action; but, on the contrary, itcoacts by reason of its shape with the abdominal muscles to cause thelatter automatically to knead or massage themselves whenever changes inbodily position of the wearer take place.

The term automatic massage device used in the claims means a deviceactuated by the bodily movements of the wearer to produce the kneadingor squeezing of the muscles whereto it is applied or generally toimitate the manipulation of a massage operator upon said muscles.

The term fleshmanipulating member means a mechanical part ofv the deviceconstructed and formed to coact with the muscles to which it is appliedand on which it is secured in order to imitate the said massageoperation.

I clairn 1. An automatic massage device having a mechanical memberconstructed and formed to coact with the muscles upon which it issecured to produce a massaging effect of the kind described by thebodily movements of the wearer, and means for securing said device infixed position upon the body of said wearer.

2. In an automatic massage device, a continuous flesh-manipulatingmember and means for holding the same in fixed position upon the body ofthe wearer: the said member having a plurality of projectionsconstructed and disposed to indent the flesh, and recesses between saidprojections into which the flesh is free to expand.

3. In an automatic massage device; a fleshmanipulating member incontinuous helical form, and means for holding the same in fixedposition upon the body of the wearer.

4. In an automatic massage device, a continuous elongatedflesh-manipulating member and means connected to the extremities of saidmember for holding the same in fixed position upon the body of thewearer: the said member having a plurality of projections constructedand disposed-to indent the flesh, and recesses between said projectionsinto which the flesh is free to expand.

5. In an automatic massage-belt, a continuous flesh-manipulating memberhaving a plurality of projections constructed to indent the flesh andrecesses between said projections into which the flesh is free toexpand, and a flexible band detachably connected to the extremities ofsaid member.

6. In an automatic massage device, two continuous elongatedflesh-manipulating members united at their corresponding ends andseparated at their intermediate portions,.and

means for holding the same in fixed position upon the body of thewearer.

7. In an automatic massage device, two continuous elongatedflesh-manipulating members flexibly united at their corresponding endsand separated at their intermediate portions, and means for holding thesame in fixed position upon the body of the wearer.

8. In an automatic massage device, two continuous elongated resilientflesh-manipulating members united at their corresponding ends andseparated at their intermediate portions, and means for holding the samein fixed position upon the body of the wearer.

9- In an automatic massage device, two continuous elongated flesh-manipulating members flexibly connected at their corresponding ends andseparated at their intermediate portions, each of said members havingaplurality of projections constructed to indent the flesh and recessesbetween said projections into which the flesh is free to expand, andmeans for holding said members in fixed position upon the body of thewearer.

10. In an automatic massage device, two flesh-manipulating membersformed of'wire helices, connected at their corresponding ends andseparated at their intermediate portions, and a flexible band forattaching said members to the body of the wearer secured to said ends.

11. In an automatic massage device, two flesh-manipulating membersformed of wire helices connected at their corresponding ends andseparated at their intermediate portions, a flexible band for attachingsaid members to the body of the wearer, secured to said ends and meansfor adjusting thelpngth of said band. r

12. In an automatic massage device, two flesh-manipulating membersformed of wire helices, cross-bars connecting said members at theircorresponding ends, a flexible band for attaching said members to thebodyof the wearer secured at one extremity to one of said cross-bars,and means for detachably securing the other extremity of said band tothe other cross-bar.

13. In an automatic massage device two flesh-manipulating members connected at their corresponding ends and separated at their intermediateportions, and means for holding said members in fixed=position upon thebody of the wearer; one of said members being a wire helix.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

. SIDNEY H. BURNS. Witnesses:

J. A. Games, A. L. KENT.

